Somali Civil War

The Somali Civil War (23 May 1986-) is an ongoing civil war in Somalia. The war grew out of resistance to Siad Barre's communist military junta during the 1980s, and Barre's overthrow in 1991 led to warlords and armed groups carving up the country. The United Nations intervened in the civil war from 1992 to 1995 in "Operation Restore Hope" and UNOSOM II, but they failed to restore order to the country. In 1996, the rebels reached a peace agreement,  and a transitional national government was formed in 2000. However, Somalia's central government was weakened by continued regional instability, as Somaliland and Puntland formed highly autonomous regional governments, and armed groups continued to wield considerable amounts of power. In 2006, the al-Qaeda-backed Islamic Courts Union conquered the capital of Mogadishu and took over much of the country, leading to Ethiopian military intervention in the civil war from 2006 to 2009. This resulted in a compromise between the "Transitional Federal Government" and the Islamists, with moderate Islamist leader and Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia chairman Sharif Sheikh Ahmed becoming President. However, the civil war continued as the moderate Islamists in power fought against radical Islamists from groups such as al-Shabaab, Hizbul Islam, and, after 2015, the Islamic State. Over 500,000 people died during the war, while over 1,000,000 were displaced.

Barre regime
The country of Somalia was formed on 1 July 1960 when the former Italian Somaliland and the former British Somaliland were unified and granted independence as a united republic. In 1969, the Supreme Revolutionary Council seized power in a bloodless putsch and renamed the country the Somali Democratic Republic. At the head of the ruling military junta was Siad Barre, who turned the country into an authoritarian state ruled by the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party. Rebel groups were formed in neighboring Ethiopia to oppose Barre's communist dictatorship, and Somali rebels fought alongside Ethiopia against Somalia in the 1977 Ogaden War. In 1986, Barre was nearly killed in a car accident, leading to a power struggle between possible successors. In an effort to hold onto power, the Supreme Revolutionary Council became increasingly totalitarian, and Barre abandoned appeals to nationalism in favor of exploiting existing clan animosities.

Somali Rebellion
By the mid-1980s, more resistance movements supported by Ethiopia's communist Derg administration had sprung up across the country. Barre ordered punitive measures against those accused of supporting the guerrillas, especially in the northern regions. The clampdown included bombing of cities, with the Somali National Movement stronghold of Hargeysa being targeted in 1988. Barre's heavy-handed tactics strengthened the appeal of the various rebel movements, whose only common goal was the overthrow of his government. In addition, the chaos in Somalia led to many coastal Somalis taking to piracy to sustain themselves. By mid-1990, United Somali Congress rebels had captured most of the towns and villages surrounding Mogadishu, and Barre was ironically nicknamed "Mayor of Mogadishu" due to his limited control over the country. By January 1991, the USC had managed to defeat the Red Berets in Mogadishu, and the remainder of the government troops collapsed soon after (some became regional forces and clan militias).

Farrah's takeover
After the USC's victory over Barre's troops, the other opposition groups declined to cooperate with it, and